1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the area of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) or electromechanical microsystems, and more particularly, to the application of these microsystems to clockmaking.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The movements of electromechanical watches or clocks are normally generated by an electric motor such as a micro-motor with a progressive magnetic gap (called a Lavet motor or stepping motor), which drives a series of gear trains in rotation. These watches or clocks require complex gear mechanisms that are used to adapt the movement of the rotor to the various rotation speeds required of the hands.
A concern in the area of clockmaking relates to simplifying the design of the components that constitute the movement generating mechanisms.
Another consideration is reducing the number of components used in the mechanisms. Reducing either or both the number of components and the number of assembly operations necessary to create the mechanism allows the efficiency of the mechanisms to be improved, as well as improve the independence of the clock devices and reduce their production costs.